The House Agriculture Committee voted 29-17 Wednesday night to allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a promotion program for organic agricultural products, to be funded with a "checkoff" fee paid by organic producers if a super-majority of them approve it in a referendum.
Committee Chairman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma opposed the amendment to the House farm bill, but several of his fellow Republicans, from Northern and Western states, voted with Democrats to pass it. Lucas said he wasn't comfortable with the idea because the program would not be for a specific commodity, unlike other checkoff programs, but for a group of products. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, argued likewise: "Organic is a brand. Checkoffs shouldn't promote brands."
Lucas asked, "How do I promote my organic pork without disparaging non-organic pork?" The amendment's sponsor, Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., right, said another law forbids disparagement of agricultural products, and urged his colleagues to "Get over our old biases."
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., said the Organic Trade Association is using its website to attack traditional agriculture, which is not responding in kind. Schrader replied, "That a private trade group. This is about fairness in agriculture and trying to get us on the same boat."
The OTA won organic products an exemption from checkoff programs in 2002 and is promoting the organic checkoff, but not all organic-farming groups agree and the creation of such a program would be complicated and time-consuming, reported Anita Zimmerman of The Country Today.
The panel also passed an amendment by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., to make it a crime to bring a child to an animal fight.
In other action on the bill, the committee defeated amendments by Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., to add $50 million for water and sewer projects to reduce a $3.2 billion backlog; and to guarantee $4 million for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, top Democrat on the committee, opposed the latter measure, agreeing with Republicans that the Appropriations Committee would likely keep the money from being spent. It lost 20-25; the water-sewer measure failed 22-23.
Committee Chairman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma opposed the amendment to the House farm bill, but several of his fellow Republicans, from Northern and Western states, voted with Democrats to pass it. Lucas said he wasn't comfortable with the idea because the program would not be for a specific commodity, unlike other checkoff programs, but for a group of products. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, argued likewise: "Organic is a brand. Checkoffs shouldn't promote brands."
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., said the Organic Trade Association is using its website to attack traditional agriculture, which is not responding in kind. Schrader replied, "That a private trade group. This is about fairness in agriculture and trying to get us on the same boat."
The OTA won organic products an exemption from checkoff programs in 2002 and is promoting the organic checkoff, but not all organic-farming groups agree and the creation of such a program would be complicated and time-consuming, reported Anita Zimmerman of The Country Today.
The panel also passed an amendment by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., to make it a crime to bring a child to an animal fight.
In other action on the bill, the committee defeated amendments by Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., to add $50 million for water and sewer projects to reduce a $3.2 billion backlog; and to guarantee $4 million for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, top Democrat on the committee, opposed the latter measure, agreeing with Republicans that the Appropriations Committee would likely keep the money from being spent. It lost 20-25; the water-sewer measure failed 22-23.
No comments:
Post a Comment